Surgical correction of pectus carinatum

Area of Science:

• Thoracic surgery
• Pediatric surgery
• Orthopedic surgery

Background:

• Pectus carinatum is a rare chest wall deformity, less frequent than pectus excavatum.
• This study analyzes 152 cases of pectus carinatum treated between 1973 and 1985.
• The condition affects more boys than girls and presents in symmetric, asymmetric, or mixed forms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the characteristics of pectus carinatum.
• To detail the surgical techniques used for correction.
• To report the outcomes and complication rates of surgical interventions.

Main Methods:

• Surgical correction involved costal cartilage resection (bilateral or unilateral) and sternal osteotomy (single or double).
• Specific techniques were employed for mixed deformities with posterior sternal angulation.
• Data on patient demographics, deformity type, family history, associated abnormalities, and surgical procedures were collected.

Main Results:

• 152 pectus carinatum cases were corrected, representing 16.7% of all chest wall deformities treated.
• The majority of patients (89) had symmetric deformities; 49 were asymmetric, and 14 were mixed.
• Associated musculoskeletal abnormalities were noted in 34 patients. Surgical correction had a low complication rate of 3.9%.

Conclusions:

• Pectus carinatum is a correctable deformity with surgical intervention.
• Surgical techniques involving cartilage resection and osteotomy are effective.
• The study demonstrates satisfactory long-term results with a low incidence of complications.